Matthew 23-24

Seven Woes to the Scribes and Pharisees

Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, ²  “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, ³ so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do.For they preach, but do not practice. ⁴  They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear,^[a] and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. ⁵  They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long,⁶ and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues ⁷ and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi^[b] by others. ⁸  But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers.^[c] 9 And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. ¹⁰ Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ. ¹¹  The greatest among you shall be your servant. ¹²  Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

¹³ “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For youshut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in.^[d]15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much achild of hell^[e] as yourselves.

¹⁶ “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’ ¹⁷ You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that has made the gold sacred? ¹⁸ And you say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gift that is on the altar, he is bound by his oath.’ ¹⁹ You blind men! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred? ²⁰ So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. ²¹ And whoever swears by the temple swears by it and by him who dwells in it. ²² And whoever swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him who sits upon it.

²³  “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. ²⁴ You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!

²⁵  “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. ²⁶ You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.

²⁷  “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. ²⁸ So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

²⁹  “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous, ³⁰ saying, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ ³¹ Thus you witness against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. ³²  Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers.³³ You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell? ³⁴  Therefore I send you prophets and wise men and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues andpersecute from town to town, ³⁵ so that on you may come allthe righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah the son of Barachiah,^[f] whom you murdered between the sanctuary andthe altar. ³⁶ Truly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.

Lament over Jerusalem

³⁷  “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I havegathered your children together as a hen gathers her broodunder her wings, and you were not willing! ³⁸ See, your house is left to you desolate. ³⁹ For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’”

Jesus Foretells Destruction of the Temple

24  Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple.² But he answered them, “You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”

Signs of the End of the Age

³ As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to himprivately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”⁴ And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. ⁵ For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. ⁶ And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. ⁷ For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. ⁸ All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.

⁹ “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. ¹⁰ And then many will fall away^[g] and betray one another and hate one another. ¹¹ And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. ¹² And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. ¹³  But the one who endures to the end will be saved. ¹⁴ And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole worldas a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

The Abomination of Desolation

¹⁵ “So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place ( let the reader understand), ¹⁶ then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. ¹⁷  Let the one who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house, ¹⁸ and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. ¹⁹ And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! ²⁰ Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. ²¹ For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. ²² And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. ²³  Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. ²⁴ For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. ²⁵ See, I have told you beforehand. ²⁶ So, if they say to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. ²⁷  For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. ²⁸  Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.

The Coming of the Son of Man

²⁹ “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. ³⁰ Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, andthey will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heavenwith power and great glory. ³¹ And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect fromthe four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

The Lesson of the Fig Tree

³² “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. ³³ So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates. ³⁴  Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. ³⁵  Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

No One Knows That Day and Hour

³⁶ “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son,^[h] but the Father only. ³⁷ For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. ³⁸  For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, ³⁹ and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. ⁴⁰ Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. ⁴¹  Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left.⁴² Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what dayyour Lord is coming. ⁴³  But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. ⁴⁴ Therefore you also must beready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

⁴⁵ “Who then is the faithful and wise servant,^[i] whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? ⁴⁶  Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. ⁴⁷ Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. ⁴⁸ But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed,’ ⁴⁹ and begins to beat his fellow servants^[j] and eats and drinks withdrunkards, ⁵⁰ the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know ⁵¹ and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

from Bible Gateway

Matthew 21

The Triumphal Entry

^1(A) Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to^(B) the Mount of Olives, then Jesus^(C) sent two disciples, ²saying to them, ”Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. ³If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.” ⁴This took place^(D) to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying,
^5(E) ”Say to the daughter of Zion,’Behold, your king is coming to you,
^(F) humble, and mounted on a donkey,
and^[a] on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’” ⁶The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. ⁷They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. ⁸Most of the crowd^(G) spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. ⁹And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting,^(H) ”Hosanna to^(I) the Son of David!^(J) Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna^(K) in the highest!” ¹⁰And^(L) when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” ¹¹And the crowds said, “This is^(M) the prophet Jesus,^(N) from Nazareth of Galilee.”

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

^12(O) And Jesus entered the temple^[b] and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of^(P) the money-changers and the seats of those who sold^(Q)pigeons. ¹³He said to them, ”It is written,^(R) ’My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but^(S)you make it a den of robbers.” ^14(T) And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them. ^15(U) But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple,^(V) ”Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant, ¹⁶and they said to him, “Do you hear what these are saying?” And Jesus said to them, ”Yes;^(W) have you never read,

^(X) ”‘Out of the mouth of^(Y) infants and nursing babies
you have prepared praise’?”

¹⁷And^(Z) leaving them, he^(AA) went out of the city to^(AB) Bethany and lodged there.

Jesus Curses the Fig Tree

^18(AC) In the morning, as he was returning to the city,^(AD) he became hungry. ^19(AE) And seeing a fig tree by the wayside, he went to it and found nothing on it but only leaves. And he said to it,”May no fruit ever come from you again!” And the fig tree withered at once. ²⁰When the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree wither at once?”²¹And Jesus answered them, ^(AF) ”Truly, I say to you,^(AG) if you have faith and^(AH) do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain,^(AI)‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen. ²²And^(AJ) whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive,^(AK) if you have faith.”

The Authority of Jesus Challenged

^23(AL) And when he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him^(AM) as he was teaching, and said,^(AN) ”By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” ²⁴Jesus answered them, ”I also will ask you one question, and if you tell me the answer, then I also will tell you by what authority I do these things. ²⁵The baptism of John,^(AO) from where did it come?^(AP)From heaven or from man?” And they discussed it among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us,^(AQ) ’Why then did you not believe him?’ ²⁶But if we say, ‘From man,’^(AR)we are afraid of the crowd, for they all hold that John was^(AS) a prophet.” ²⁷So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them,”Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.

The Parable of the Two Sons

^28(AT) ”What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in^(AU) the vineyard today.’ ²⁹And he answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he^(AV)changed his mind and went. ³⁰And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, ‘I go, sir,’ but did not go. ³¹Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, ”Truly, I say to you,^(AW) the tax collectors and^(AX) the prostitutes go into^(AY) the kingdom of God before you. ³²For John came to you^(AZ) in the way of righteousness, and^(BA) you did not believe him, but^(BB) the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. And even when you saw it, you did not afterward^(BC) change your minds and believe him.

The Parable of the Tenants

^33(BD) ”Hear another parable. There was a master of a house who planted^(BE) a vineyard^(BF)and put a fence around it and dug a winepress in it and built a tower and^(BG) leased it to tenants, and^(BH) went into another country. ³⁴When the season for fruit drew near, he sent his servants^[c]to the tenants^(BI) to get his fruit. ^35(BJ) And the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and^(BK) stoned another. ^36(BL) Again he sent other servants, more than the first. And they did the same to them. ³⁷Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’³⁸But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves,^(BM) ’This is the heir. Come,^(BN) let us kill him and have his inheritance.’ ³⁹And they took him and^(BO) threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. ^40(BP) When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” ⁴¹They said to him,^(BQ) ”He will put those wretches to a miserable death and^(BR) let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons.” ⁴²Jesus said to them, ^(BS) ”Have you never read in the Scriptures:

^(BT) ”‘The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;^[d]
this was the Lord’s doing,
and it is marvelous in our eyes’?

⁴³Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God^(BU)will be taken away from you and given to a people^(BV) producing its fruits. ⁴⁴And^(BW) the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and^(BX) when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.”^[e]

⁴⁵When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking about them. ⁴⁶And^(BY) although they were seeking to arrest him,^(BZ) they feared the crowds, because they held him to be^(CA) a prophet.

Matthew 22

The Parable of the Wedding Feast

¹And again Jesus^(CB) spoke to them in parables, saying, ^2(CC) ”The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave^(CD) a wedding feast for his son, ³and^(CE) sent his servants^[f] to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. ^4(CF) Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, See, I have prepared my^(CG) dinner,^(CH) my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.’⁵But^(CI) they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, ⁶while the rest seized his servants,^(CJ) treated them shamefully, and^(CK) killed them. ⁷The king was angry, and he sent his troops and^(CL) destroyed those murderers and burned their city. ⁸Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not^(CM) worthy. ⁹Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’ ¹⁰And those servants went out into the roads and^(CN)gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests. ¹¹“But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there^(CO) a man who had no wedding garment. ¹²And he said to him,^(CP)‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless.¹³Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and^(CQ) cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ ¹⁴For many are^(CR) called, but few are chosen.”

Paying Taxes to Caesar

^15(CS) Then the Pharisees went and plotted how^(CT) to entangle him in his words. ¹⁶And they sent^(CU) their disciples to him, along with^(CV) the Herodians, saying, “Teacher,^(CW) we know that you are true and teach^(CX) the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone’s opinion, for^(CY) you are not swayed by appearances.^[g] 17Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay^(CZ) taxes to^(DA) Caesar, or not?”¹⁸But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, ”Why^(DB)put me to the test, you hypocrites? ¹⁹Show me the coin for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius.^[h] 20And Jesus said to them, ”Whose likeness and inscription is this?” ²¹They said, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, ^(DC) ”Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” ²²When they heard it, they marveled. And they^(DD) left him and went away.

Sadducees Ask About the Resurrection

²³The same day^(DE) Sadducees came to him,^(DF)who say that there is no resurrection, and they asked him a question, ²⁴saying, “Teacher, Moses said,^(DG) ’If a man dies having no children, his brother must marry the widow and raise up children for his brother.’ ²⁵Now there were seven brothers among us. The first married and died, and having no children left his wife to his brother. ²⁶So too the second and third, down to the seventh. ²⁷After them all, the woman died.²⁸In the resurrection, therefore, of the seven, whose wife will she be? For they all had her.” ²⁹But Jesus answered them, ”You are wrong,^(DH)because you know neither the Scriptures nor^(DI)the power of God. ³⁰For in the resurrection they neither^(DJ) marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. ³¹And as for the resurrection of the dead,^(DK) have you not read what was said to you by God: ^32(DL) ’I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not God of the dead, but of the living.” ³³And when the crowd heard it,^(DM)they were astonished at his teaching.

The Great Commandment

^34(DN) But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced^(DO) the Sadducees, they gathered together. ^35(DP) And one of them,^(DQ) a lawyer, asked him a question^(DR) to test him. ³⁶“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?”³⁷And he said to him, ^(DS) ”You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. ³⁸This is the great and first commandment. ³⁹And^(DT) a second is like it:^(DU) You shall love your neighbor as yourself. ^40(DV) On these two commandments depend^(DW) all the Law and the Prophets.”

Whose Son Is the Christ?

^41(DX) Now while the Pharisees^(DY) were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question, ⁴²saying,”What do you think about^(DZ) the Christ? Whose son is he?” They said to him, “The son of David.”⁴³He said to them, ”How is it then that David,^(EA)in the Spirit, calls him Lord, saying,
^44(EB) ”‘The Lord said to my Lord,Sit at my right hand,
until I put your enemies under your feet’? ⁴⁵If then David calls him Lord,^(EC) how is he his son?” ^46(ED) And no one was able to answer him a word,^(EE) nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions.

Matthew 19

Teaching About Divorce

¹Now when Jesus had finished these sayings, he went away from^(A) Galilee and^(B) entered^(C)the region of Judea beyond the Jordan. ²And^(D) large crowds followed him, and he healed them there. ³And Pharisees came up to him and^(E) tested him by asking,^(F)“Is it lawful to divorce one’s wife for any cause?” ⁴He answered,^(G) ”Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, ⁵and said,^(H) ’Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and^(I) the two shall become one flesh’? ⁶So they are no longer two but one flesh.^(J) What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” ⁷They said to him,^(K)“Why then did Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce and to send her away?”⁸He said to them, ”Because of your^(L) hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. ^9(M) And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.”^[a]

¹⁰The disciples said to him, “If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry.” ¹¹But he said to them,^(N) ”Not everyone can receive this saying, but only^(O) those to^(P) whom it is given. ¹²For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs^(Q) for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let the one who is able to receive this receive it.”

Let the Children Come to Me

^13(R) Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples^(S) rebuked the people, ¹⁴but Jesus said,^(T) ”Let the little children^(U) come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” ¹⁵And he laid his hands on them and went away.

The Rich Young Man

^16(V) And behold, a man came up to him, saying, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to^(W)have^(X) eternal life?” ¹⁷And he said to him, ”Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good.^(Y) If you would enter life, keep the commandments.” ¹⁸He said to him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, ^(Z) ”You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, ¹⁹Honor your father and mother, and,^(AA) You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” ²⁰The young man said to him,^(AB) ”All these I have kept. What do I still lack?” ²¹Jesus said to him, ”If you would be^(AC) perfect, go,^(AD) sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have^(AE) treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” ^22(AF) When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. ²³And Jesus said to his disciples, ”Truly, I say to you,^(AG) only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven. ^24(AH) Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter^(AI)the kingdom of God.” ²⁵When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?” ²⁶But Jesus^(AJ) looked at them and said, ^(AK) ”With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” ²⁷Then Peter said in reply, “See,^(AL) we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?” ²⁸Jesus said to them, ”Truly, I say to you, in the new world,^[b](AM) when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me^(AN) will also sit on twelve thrones,^(AO) judging the twelve tribes of Israel. ^29(AP) And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold^[c] and will^(AQ) inherit eternal life. ³⁰But^(AR) many who are^(AS) first will be last, and the last first.

Matthew 20

Laborers in the Vineyard

¹“For the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. ²After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius^[d] a day, he sent them into his vineyard. ³And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, ⁴and to them he said, ‘You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.’ ⁵So they went. Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same.⁶And^(AT) about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing. And he said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ ⁷They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’ ⁸And^(AU)when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his^(AV) foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.’ ⁹And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius. ¹⁰Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius. ¹¹And on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house, ¹²saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and^(AW) the scorching heat.’ ¹³But he replied to one of them,^(AX) ’Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? ¹⁴Take^(AY)what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you. ^15(AZ) Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or^(BA) do you begrudge my generosity?’^[e]16So^(BB) the last will be first, and the first last.”

Jesus Foretells His Death a Third Time

^17(BC) And as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside, and on the way he said to them, ¹⁸“See,^(BD) we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will^(BE) condemn him to death ¹⁹and^(BF)deliver him over to the Gentiles^(BG) to be mocked and flogged and^(BH) crucified, and he will be raised on^(BI) the third day.”

A Mother’s Request

^20(BJ) Then^(BK) the mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to him with her sons, and^(BL)kneeling before him she asked him for something. ²¹And he said to her, ”What do you want?” She said to him, “Say that these two sons of mine^(BM) are to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left,^(BN) in your kingdom.” ²²Jesus answered, ^(BO) ”You do not know what you are asking. Are you able^(BP) to drink the cup that I am to drink?” They said to him, “We are able.”²³He said to them, ^(BQ) ”You will drink^(BR) my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant,^(BS) but it is for those for whom it has been^(BT) prepared by my Father.” ²⁴And when the ten heard it, they were indignant at the two brothers. ²⁵But Jesus called them to him and said, ^(BU) ”You know that the rulers of the Gentiles^(BV) lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. ^26(BW) It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant,^[f] 27and whoever would be first among you must be your slave,^[g] 28even as the Son of Man came not to be served but^(BX) to serve, and^(BY) to give his life as a ransom for^(BZ) many.”

Jesus Heals Two Blind Men

^29(CA) And as they went out of Jericho, a great crowd followed him. ³⁰And behold, there were two blind men sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, “Lord,^[h] have mercy on us,^(CB) Son of David!” ³¹The crowd^(CC) rebuked them, telling them to be silent, but they cried out all the more, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!”³²And stopping, Jesus called them and said,”What do you want me to do for you?” ³³They said to him, “Lord, let our eyes be opened.”³⁴And Jesus in pity touched their eyes, and immediately they recovered their sight and followed him.

Matthew 17

The Transfiguration

^1(A) And after six days Jesus took with him^(B) Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. ²And he was^(C) transfigured before them, and^(D) his face shone like the sun, and^(E) his clothes became white as light. ³And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. ⁴And Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for^(F) Elijah.” ⁵He was still speaking when, behold,^(G) a bright cloud overshadowed them, and^(H) a voice from the cloud said,^(I) ”This is my beloved Son,^[a] with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” ⁶When^(J)the disciples heard this,^(K) they fell on their faces and were terrified. ⁷But Jesus came and^(L)touched them, saying, ”Rise, and^(M) have no fear.” ⁸And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only. ^9(N) And as they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, ^(O) ”Tell no one the vision, until the Son of Man is raised from the dead.”¹⁰And the disciples asked him, “Then why do the scribes say^(P)that first Elijah must come?”¹¹He answered, ”Elijah does come, and^(Q) he will restore all things. ¹²But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but^(R) did to him whatever they pleased.^(S) So also the Son of Man will certainly suffer at their hands.” ^13(T) Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.

Jesus Heals a Boy with a Demon

^14(U) And when they came to the crowd, a man came up to him and, kneeling before him, ¹⁵said, “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is^(V) an epileptic and he suffers terribly. For often he falls into the fire, and often into the water. ¹⁶And I brought him to your disciples, and^(W) they could not heal him.” ¹⁷And Jesus answered, ”O faithless and^(X) twisted generation, how long am I to be with you?^(Y) How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to me.” ¹⁸And Jesus^(Z) rebuked the demon,^[b] and it^[c] came out of him, and^(AA)the boy was healed instantly.^[d] 19Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” ²⁰He said to them, ^(AB)“Because of your little faith. For^(AC) truly, I say to you,^(AD) if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed,^(AE) you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and^(AF)nothing will be impossible for you.”^[e]

Jesus Again Foretells Death, Resurrection

^22(AG) As they were gathering^[f] in Galilee, Jesus said to them, ”The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men, ²³and they will kill him, and he will be raised on^(AH) the third day.” And they were greatly distressed.

The Temple Tax

^24(AI) When they came to Capernaum, the collectors of^(AJ) the two-drachma tax went up to Peter and said, “Does your teacher not pay the tax?” ²⁵He said, “Yes.” And when he came into the house, Jesus spoke to him first, saying, ^(AK)“What do you think, Simon? From whom do kings of the earth take toll or^(AL) tax? From their sons or from others?” ²⁶And when he said, “From others,” Jesus said to him, ”Then the sons are free. ²⁷However, not to give offense to them, go to the sea and cast a hook and take the first fish that comes up, and when you open its mouth you will find a shekel.^[g] Take that and give it to them for me and for yourself.”

Matthew 18

Who Is the Greatest?

^1(AM) At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” ²And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them ³and said, ”Truly, I say to you, unless you^(AN) turn and^(AO) become like children, you^(AP) will never enter the kingdom of heaven. ^4(AQ) Whoever humbles himself like this child is the^(AR) greatest in the kingdom of heaven. ^5(AS) ”Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, ⁶but^(AT) whoever causes one of these^(AU) little ones who believe in me to sin,^[h] it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.

Temptations to Sin

⁷“Woe to the world for^(AV) temptations to sin!^[i](AW) For it is necessary that temptations come,^(AX) but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes! ^8(AY) And if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into^(AZ) the eternal fire. ^9(BA) And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the^(BB)hell^[j] of fire.

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

¹⁰“See that you do not despise^(BC) one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven^(BD) their angels always^(BE) see the face of my Father who is in heaven.^[k] 12(BF) What do you think?^(BG) If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? ¹³And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. ¹⁴So^(BH) it is not the will of my^[l] Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.

If Your Brother Sins Against You

^15(BI) ”If your brother sins against you,^(BJ) go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have^(BK) gained your brother. ¹⁶But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established^(BL) by the evidence of two or three witnesses. ¹⁷If he refuses to listen to them,^(BM) tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church,^(BN) let him be to you as^(BO) a Gentile and a tax collector. ¹⁸Truly, I say to you,^(BP) whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed^[m] in heaven. ¹⁹Again I say to you, if two of you^(BQ) agree on earth about anything they ask,^(BR) it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. ²⁰For where two or three are^(BS) gathered in my name,^(BT) there am I among them.”

The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant

²¹Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often^(BU) will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him?^(BV) As many as seven times?”²²Jesus said to him, ”I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.^[n] 23“Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished^(BW) to settle accounts with his servants.^[o] 24When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him^(BX)ten thousand^(BY) talents.^[p] 25(BZ) And since he could not pay, his master ordered him^(CA) to be sold, with his wife and^(CB) children and all that he had, and payment to be made. ²⁶So the servant^[q](CC) fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ ²⁷And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and^(CD) forgave him the debt. ²⁸But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred^(CE) denarii,^[r] and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ ²⁹So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ ³⁰He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. ³¹When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place.³²Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. ^33(CF) And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ ^34(CG) And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers,^[s](CH) until he should pay all his debt. ^35(CI)So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother^(CJ) from your heart.”

Matthew 15

Traditions and Commandments

^1(A) Then Pharisees and^(B)scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, ^2(C) ”Why do your disciples break^(D) the tradition of the elders?^(E) For they do not wash their hands when they eat.” ³He answered them, ”And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? ⁴For God commanded,^(F) ’Honor your father and your mother,’ and,^(G)‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ ⁵But you say, ‘If anyone tells his father or his mother, “What you would have gained from me is given to God,”^[a] 6he need not honor his father.’ So for the sake of your tradition you have^(H) made void the word^[b]of God. ^7(I) You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said:
^8(J) ”‘This people honors me with their lips,
but their heart is far from me;
⁹in vain do they worship me,
teaching as^(K) doctrines the commandments of men.’”

What Defiles a Person

¹⁰And he called the people to him and said to them, ^(L) ”Hear and understand: ^11(M) it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.” ¹²Then the disciples came and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees were^(N)offended when they heard this saying?” ¹³He answered, ^(O) ”Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted^(P) will be rooted up. ¹⁴Let them alone;^(Q) they are blind guides.^[c] And^(R) if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.”¹⁵But Peter said to him,^(S) ”Explain the parable to us.” ¹⁶And he said, ^(T) ”Are you also still without understanding? ¹⁷Do you not see that^(U)whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled?^[d] 18But^(V) what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. ¹⁹For out of the heart come^(W) evil thoughts,^(X) murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness,^(Y) slander.^20(Z) These are what defile a person. But^(AA) to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.”

The Faith of a Canaanite Woman

^21(AB) And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. ²²And behold,^(AC) a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying,^(AD) ”Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.” ²³But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying,^(AE) ”Send her away, for she is crying out after us.” ²⁴He answered, ^(AF) ”I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” ²⁵But she came and^(AG) knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” ²⁶And he answered, ”It is not right to take the children’s bread and^(AH)throw it to the dogs.” ²⁷She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat^(AI) the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” ²⁸Then Jesus answered her,”O woman,^(AJ) great is your faith!^(AK) Be it done for you as you desire.”^(AL) And her daughter was healed instantly.^[e]

Jesus Heals Many

^29(AM) Jesus went on from there and walked^(AN)beside the Sea of Galilee. And he^(AO) went up on the mountain and sat down there. ³⁰And great crowds came to him, bringing with them^(AP) the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute, and many others, and they put them at his feet, and he healed them, ^31(AQ) so that the crowd wondered, when they saw the mute speaking,^(AR)the crippled healthy, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. And^(AS) they glorified^(AT) the God of Israel.

Jesus Feeds the Four Thousand

^32(AU) Then Jesus called his disciples to him and said, ^(AV) ”I have compassion on the crowd because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. And I am unwilling to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way.” ³³And the disciples said to him, “Where are we to get enough bread in such a desolate place to feed so great a crowd?” ³⁴And Jesus said to them, ”How many loaves do you have?” They said,^(AW) ”Seven, and a few small fish.” ³⁵And directing the crowd to sit down on the ground,³⁶he took the seven loaves and the fish, and^(AX)having given thanks he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. ³⁷And^(AY) they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up seven baskets full of the broken pieces left over. ³⁸Those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children. ³⁹And after sending away the crowds, he got into the boat and went to the region of^(AZ) Magadan.

Matthew 16

The Pharisees and Sadducees Demand Signs

^1(BA) And the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and^(BB) to test him^(BC) they asked him to show them^(BD) a sign from heaven. ²He answered them,^[f] (BE) ”When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ ³And in the morning, ‘It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.’^(BF) You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret^(BG) the signs of the times. ^4(BH)An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.” So^(BI) he left them and departed.

The Leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees

⁵When the disciples reached the other side, they had forgotten to bring any bread. ⁶Jesus said to them, ”Watch and^(BJ) beware of^(BK) the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” ⁷And they began discussing it among themselves, saying, “We brought no bread.” ⁸But^(BL) Jesus, aware of this, said, ^(BM) ”O you of little faith, why are you discussing among yourselves the fact that you have no bread? ^9(BN) Do you not yet perceive? Do you not remember^(BO) the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you gathered?¹⁰Or^(BP) the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? ¹¹How is it that you fail to understand that I did not speak about bread?^(BQ) Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” ^12(BR) Then they understood that he did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of^(BS) the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Peter Confesses Jesus as the Christ

^13(BT) Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, ”Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” ¹⁴And they said, “Some say^(BU) John the Baptist, others say^(BV) Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” ¹⁵He said to them, ”But who do you say that I am?” ¹⁶Simon Peter replied,^(BW) ”You are^(BX) the Christ,^(BY) the Son of^(BZ) the living God.” ¹⁷And Jesus answered him, ^(CA) ”Blessed are you,^(CB) Simon Bar-Jonah! For^(CC) flesh and blood has not revealed this to you,^(CD) but my Father who is in heaven. ¹⁸And I tell you,^(CE) you are Peter, and^(CF) on this rock^[g] I will build my church, and^(CG) the gates of^(CH) hell^[h] shall not prevail against it. ¹⁹I will give you^(CI) the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and^(CJ) whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed^[i] in heaven.” ^20(CK) Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.

Jesus Foretells His Death and Resurrection

^21(CL) From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that^(CM) he must go to Jerusalem and^(CN)suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on^(CO) the third day be raised. ²²And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord!^[j] This shall never happen to you.”²³But he turned and said to Peter, ^(CP) ”Get behind me, Satan! You are^(CQ) a hindrance^[k] to me. For you^(CR) are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”

Take Up Your Cross and Follow Jesus

²⁴Then Jesus told his disciples, ”If anyone would come after me, let him^(CS) deny himself and^(CT)take up his cross and follow me. ²⁵For^(CU)whoever would save his life^[l] will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.²⁶For^(CV) what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or^(CW) what shall a man give in return for his soul? ^27(CX) For the Son of Man is going to come with^(CY) his angels in the glory of his Father, and^(CZ) then he will repay each person according to what he has done. ²⁸Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not^(DA) taste death^(DB)until they see the Son of Man^(DC) coming in his kingdom.”

 Audio

Matthew 13

The Parable of the Sower

¹That same day Jesus went out of the house^(A) and sat beside the sea. ²And great crowds gathered about him,^(B) so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach. ³And^(C) he told them many things in parables, saying: ^(D) ”A sower went out to sow. ⁴And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. ⁵Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, ⁶but^(E) when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root,^(F)they withered away. ⁷Other seeds fell among^(G) thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. ⁸Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some^(H) a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. ^9(I) He who has ears,^[a] let him hear.”

The Purpose of the Parables

¹⁰Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” ¹¹And he answered them, ^(J) ”To you it has been given to know^(K) the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. ^12(L) For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not,^(M) even what he has will be taken away. ¹³This is why I speak to them in parables, because^(N) seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear,^(O) nor do they understand. ¹⁴Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says:

^(P) ”‘You will indeed hear but never understand,
and you will indeed see but never perceive.
¹⁵For this people’s heart has grown dull,
and with their ears^(Q) they can barely hear,
and^(R) their eyes they have closed,
lest they should see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and^(S) understand with their heart
and^(T) turn, and I would heal them.’ ¹⁶But^(U) blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. ^17(V) For truly, I say to you,^(W) many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.

The Parable of the Sower Explained

^18(X) ”Hear then the parable of the sower:¹⁹When anyone hears the word of^(Y) the kingdom and^(Z) does not understand it,^(AA) the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path.²⁰As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately^(AB)receives it with joy, ²¹yet he has no root in himself, but^(AC) endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately^(AD) he falls away.^[b] 22As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but^(AE) the cares of^(AF) the world and^(AG) the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. ²³As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and^(AH) understands it. He indeed^(AI)bears fruit and yields, in one case^(AJ) a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”

The Parable of the Weeds

²⁴He put another parable before them, saying,^(AK) ”The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, ²⁵but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds^[c] among the wheat and went away. ²⁶So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. ²⁷And the servants^[d] of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’²⁸He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ ²⁹But he said,^(AL) ’No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. ³⁰Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers,^(AM) Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.’”

The Mustard Seed and the Leaven

³¹He put another parable before them, saying,^(AN) ”The kingdom of heaven is like^(AO) a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. ³²It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.” ³³He told them another parable. ^(AP) ”The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in^(AQ) three measures of flour, till it was^(AR) all leavened.”

Prophecy and Parables

^34(AS) All these things Jesus said to the crowds in parables; indeed, he said nothing to them without a parable. ³⁵This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet:^[e]

^(AT) ”I will open my mouth in parables;
^(AU) I will utter what has been hidden^(AV) since the foundation of the world.”

The Parable of the Weeds Explained

³⁶Then he left the crowds and went into^(AW) the house. And his disciples came to him, saying,^(AX)“Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.” ³⁷He answered, ”The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. ³⁸The field is the world, and the good seed is^(AY) the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are^(AZ) the sons of the evil one, ³⁹and the enemy who sowed them is the devil.^(BA) The harvest is^(BB) the close of the age, and the reapers are angels. ⁴⁰Just as the weeds^(BC) are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at^(BD) the close of the age. ^41(BE) The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all^(BF) causes of sin and^(BG) all law-breakers, ^42(BH) and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place^(BI) there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. ⁴³Then^(BJ) the righteous will shine like the sun^(BK) in the kingdom of their Father.^(BL) He who has ears, let him hear.

The Parable of the Hidden Treasure

⁴⁴“The kingdom of heaven^(BM) is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy^(BN) he goes and sells all that he has and^(BO) buys that field.

The Parable of the Pearl of Great Value

⁴⁵“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, ⁴⁶who, on finding^(BP) one pearl of great value,^(BQ) went and sold all that he had and^(BR) bought it.

The Parable of the Net

⁴⁷“Again, the kingdom of heaven is^(BS) like a net that was thrown into the sea and^(BT) gathered fish of every kind. ⁴⁸When it was full,^(BU) men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into containers but threw away the bad. ⁴⁹So it will be at^(BV) the close of the age. The angels will come out and^(BW) separate the evil from the righteous ^50(BX) and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

New and Old Treasures

^51(BY) ”Have you understood all these things?”They said to him, “Yes.” ⁵²And he said to them,”Therefore every^(BZ) scribe^(CA) who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house, who^(CB) brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.”

Jesus Rejected at Nazareth

⁵³And when Jesus had finished these parables, he went away from there, ^54(CC) and coming to^(CD) his hometown^(CE) he taught them in their synagogue, so that^(CF) they were astonished, and said, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works? ^55(CG) Is not this^(CH) the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not^(CI) his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? ⁵⁶And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” ⁵⁷And^(CJ) they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, ^(CK) ”A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household.” ⁵⁸And he did not do many mighty works there,^(CL) because of their unbelief.

Matthew 14

The Death of John the Baptist

^1(CM) At that time^(CN) Herod the tetrarch heard about the fame of Jesus, ²and he said to his servants,^(CO) ”This is John the Baptist. He has been raised from the dead; that is why these miraculous powers are at work in him.” ³For^(CP)Herod had seized John and bound him and^(CQ)put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife,^[f] 4because John had been saying to him,^(CR) ”It is not lawful for you to have her.” ⁵And though he wanted to put him to death,^(CS) he feared the people, because they held him to be^(CT) a prophet. ⁶But when Herod’s^(CU) birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced before the company and pleased Herod, ⁷so that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might ask.⁸Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a platter.”⁹And the king was sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests he commanded it to be given.¹⁰He sent and had John beheaded in the prison,¹¹and his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother. ¹²And^(CV) his disciples came and took the body and buried it, and they went and told Jesus.

Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand

¹³Now when Jesus heard this,^(CW) he withdrew from there in a boat to a desolate place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. ¹⁴When he went ashore he^(CX) saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.¹⁵Now when it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the day is now over;^(CY) send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves.”¹⁶But Jesus said, ”They need not go away;^(CZ)you give them something to eat.” ¹⁷They said to him, “We have only five loaves here and two fish.” ¹⁸And he said, ”Bring them here to me.”¹⁹Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass, and taking the five loaves and the two fish,^(DA) he looked up to heaven and^(DB) said a blessing. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. ²⁰And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over. ²¹And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

Jesus Walks on the Water

^22(DC) Immediately he^(DD) made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. ²³And after he had dismissed the crowds,^(DE) he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When^(DF)evening came, he was there alone, ²⁴but the boat by this time was a long way^[g] from the land,^[h] beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. ²⁵And^(DG) in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea.²⁶But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea,^(DH) they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. ²⁷But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, ^(DI)“Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” ²⁸And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”²⁹He said, ”Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and^(DJ) walked on the water and came to Jesus.³⁰But when he saw the wind,^[i] he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out,^(DK) ”Lord, save me.” ³¹Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, ^(DL) ”O you of little faith, why did you^(DM) doubt?” ³²And when they got into the boat,^(DN) the wind ceased.³³And^(DO) those in the boat^(DP) worshiped him, saying,^(DQ) ”Truly you are^(DR) the Son of God.”

Jesus Heals the Sick in Gennesaret

^34(DS) And when they had crossed over, they came to land at^(DT) Gennesaret. ³⁵And when the men of that place recognized him, they sent around to all that region and^(DU) brought to him all who were sick ³⁶and implored him that they might only touch^(DV) the fringe of his garment. And^(DW) as many as touched it were made well.

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Matthew 10

The Twelve Apostles

^1(A) And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction. ^2(B) The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon,^(C) who is called Peter, and^(D) Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; ³Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and^(E)Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;^[a] 4Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

Jesus Sends Out the Twelve Apostles

^5(F) These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, ”Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of^(G) the Samaritans, ^6(H) but go rather to^(I) the lost sheep of^(J) the house of Israel. ⁷And proclaim as you go, saying,^(K) ’The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’^8(L) Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers,^[b] cast out demons.^(M) You received without paying; give without pay. ^9(N) Acquire no gold nor silver nor copper for your belts,¹⁰no bag for your journey, nor two tunics^[c] nor sandals nor a staff, for^(O) the laborer deserves his food. ¹¹And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart. ¹²As you enter the house,^(P) greet it.¹³And if the house is^(Q) worthy, let^(R) your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. ¹⁴And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words,^(S) shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town. ¹⁵Truly, I say to you,^(T) it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for^(U) the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town.

Persecution Will Come

^16(V) ”Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be^(W) wise as serpents and^(X) innocent as doves. ¹⁷Beware of men, for^(Y)they will deliver you over to courts and flog you^(Z) in their synagogues, ^18(AA) and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake,^(AB) to bear witness before them and the Gentiles. ^19(AC) When^(AD) they deliver you over,^(AE) do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for^(AF) what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. ^20(AG) For it is not you who speak, but^(AH) the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. ^21(AI) Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, ^22(AJ) and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake.^(AK) But the one who endures to the end will be saved. ²³When they^(AL) persecute you in one town,^(AM) flee to the next, for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel^(AN) before the Son of Man comes. ^24(AO) ”A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant^[d] above his master. ²⁵It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master.^(AP) If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign^[e] those of his household.

Have No Fear

²⁶“So have no fear of them,^(AQ) for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. ²⁷What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on^(AR) the housetops. ²⁸And^(AS) do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him^(AT) who can destroy both soul and body in hell.^[f] 29Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?^[g] And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. ³⁰But^(AU)even the hairs of your head are all numbered.³¹Fear not, therefore;^(AV) you are of more value than many sparrows. ^32(AW) So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven,³³but^(AX) whoever denies me before men,^(AY) I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.

Not Peace, but a Sword

^34(AZ) ”Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth.^(BA) I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. ^35(BB) For I have come^(BC) to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. ^36(BD) And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household. ^37(BE)Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.³⁸And^(BF) whoever does not take his cross and^(BG)follow me is not worthy of me. ^39(BH) Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

Rewards

^40(BI) ”Whoever receives you receives me, and^(BJ)whoever receives me receives him who sent me.^41(BK) The one who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and the one who receives a righteous person because he is a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. ⁴²And^(BL) whoever gives one of^(BM) these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.”

Matthew 11

Messengers from John the Baptist

¹When Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in their cities. ^2(BN) Now when John heard^(BO) in prison about the deeds of^(BP) the Christ, he sent word by^(BQ)his disciples ³and said to him, “Are you^(BR) the one who is to come, or shall we^(BS) look for another?” ⁴And Jesus answered them, ”Go and tell John what you hear and see: ^5(BT) the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers^[h]are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and^(BU) the poor have good news preached to them. ⁶And blessed is the one who^(BV) is not offended by me.”

⁷As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: ”What did you go out^(BW) into the wilderness to see?^(BX) A reed shaken by the wind? ⁸What then did you go out to see? A man^[i] dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. ⁹What then did you go out to see?^(BY) A prophet?^[j] Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. ¹⁰This is he of whom it is written,

^(BZ) ”‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face,
who will prepare your way before you.’

¹¹Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. ^12(CA)From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence,^[k] and the violent take it by force. ^13(CB) For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John,¹⁴and if you are willing to accept it, he is^(CC)Elijah who is to come. ^15(CD) He who has ears to hear,^[l] let him hear.

¹⁶“But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their playmates,
¹⁷“‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance;
we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’

¹⁸For John came^(CE) neither eating^(CF) nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ ¹⁹The Son of Man came^(CG) eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard,^(CH) a friend of^(CI) tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.”^[m]

Woe to Unrepentant Cities

^20(CJ) Then he began to denounce the cities where most of his mighty works had been done, because they did not repent. ^21(CK) ”Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in^(CL)Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. ^22(CM) But I tell you, it will be more bearable on^(CN) the day of judgment for^(CO) Tyre and Sidon than for you. ²³And you,^(CP) Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You will be brought down to^(CQ) Hades. For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. ^24(CR) But I tell you that^(CS) it will be more tolerable on^(CT) the day of judgment for the land of Sodom than for you.”

Come to Me, and I Will Give You Rest

^25(CU) At that time Jesus declared, ”I thank you, Father,^(CV) Lord of heaven and earth, that^(CW)you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and^(CX) revealed them to little children; ²⁶yes, Father, for such was your^(CY)gracious will.^[n] 27(CZ) All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son^(DA) except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone^(DB) to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. ^28(DC) Come to^(DD)me, all who labor and are^(DE) heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹Take my yoke upon you, and^(DF) learn from me, for I am^(DG) gentle and lowly in heart, and^(DH) you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰For^(DI) my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Matthew 12

Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath

¹At that time^(DJ) Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, and^(DK) they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. ²But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to him,^(DL) ”Look, your disciples are doing^(DM) what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.” ³He said to them, ^(DN) ”Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, and those who were with him: ⁴how he entered the house of God and ate^(DO) the bread of the Presence, which it was not lawful for him to eat nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? ⁵Or have you not read^(DP) in the Law how on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are guiltless? ⁶I tell you,^(DQ) something greater than the temple is here. ⁷And if you had known^(DR) what this means,^(DS) ’I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless.⁸For^(DT) the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”

A Man with a Withered Hand

⁹He went on from there and^(DU) entered their synagogue. ¹⁰And a man was there with a withered hand. And they asked him,^(DV) ”Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”—^(DW) so that they might accuse him. ¹¹He said to them,”Which one of you who has a sheep,^(DX) if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out? ^12(DY) Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! So^(DZ) it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” ¹³Then he said to the man, ”Stretch out your hand.” And^(EA) the man stretched it out, and it was restored, healthy like the other. ¹⁴But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him.

God’s Chosen Servant

¹⁵Jesus, aware of this,^(EB) withdrew from there. And^(EC) many followed him, and he healed them all ¹⁶and^(ED) ordered them not to make him known. ^17(EE) This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah:
^18(EF) ”Behold, my^(EG) servant whom I have chosen,
my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased.
^(EH) I will put my Spirit upon him,
and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles.
¹⁹He will not quarrel or cry aloud,
nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets;
²⁰a bruised reed he will not break,
and a smoldering wick he will not quench,
until he brings justice to victory;
^21(EI) and in his name the Gentiles will hope.”

Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit

^22(EJ) Then a demon-oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought to him, and he healed him, so that the man spoke and saw.^23(EK) And all the people were amazed, and said, “Can this be the Son of David?” ²⁴But when the Pharisees heard it, they said,^(EL) ”It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.” ^25(EM) Knowing their thoughts,^(EN) he said to them, ”Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. ²⁶And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? ²⁷And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul,^(EO) by whom do^(EP) your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. ²⁸But if it is^(EQ) by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then^(ER) the kingdom of God has come upon you. ²⁹Or^(ES)how can someone enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed^(ET) he may plunder his house. ^30(EU) Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. ^31(EV) Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but^(EW) the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.³²And whoever speaks a word^(EX) against the Son of Man^(EY) will be forgiven, but^(EZ) whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in^(FA) this age or in the age to come.

A Tree Is Known by Its Fruit

^33(FB) ”Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad,^(FC)for the tree is known by its fruit. ^34(FD) You brood of vipers! How can you speak good,^(FE) when you are evil?^(FF) For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. ^35(FG) The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. ³⁶I tell you,^(FH) on the day of judgment^(FI) people will give account for^(FJ) every careless word they speak, ³⁷for^(FK) by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

The Sign of Jonah

³⁸Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, “Teacher,^(FL) we wish to see a sign from you.” ³⁹But he answered them,^(FM) ”An evil and^(FN) adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. ⁴⁰For^(FO) just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish,^(FP) so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. ^41(FQ) The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and^(FR)condemn it, for^(FS) they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold,^(FT) something greater than Jonah is here. ^42(FU) The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold,^(FV) something greater than Solomon is here.

Return of an Unclean Spirit

⁴³“When^(FW) the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through^(FX) waterless places seeking rest, but finds none. ⁴⁴Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds the house empty, swept, and put in order. ⁴⁵Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there, and^(FY) the last state of that person is worse than the first. So also will it be with this^(FZ) evil generation.”

Jesus’ Mother and Brothers

⁴⁶While he was still speaking to the people, behold,^(GA) his mother and his^(GB) brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him.^[o] 48But he replied to the man who told him, ”Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” ⁴⁹And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, ”Here are my mother and my brothers!⁵⁰For^(GC) whoever^(GD) does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”